Latest news with #LebaneseArmedForces'
MTV Lebanon
17-07-2025
- Business
- MTV Lebanon
17 Jul 2025 17:34 PM EU and Member State Ambassadors discuss priorities and USD 600 million support with Lebanese Leadership
EU and Member State Ambassadors met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on respectively 10, 11, and 17 July 2025. During these meetings, the Ambassadors underscored the EU and its Member States' substantial and ongoing support for Lebanon, including in conflict-affected areas across the country. The EU and its Member States current funding in those areas amounts to more than USD 600 million, representing nearly half of their ongoing engagement in Lebanon which stands at over USD 1 billion. Beyond humanitarian assistance, the majority of this funding supports critical sectors such as education, healthcare, social protection, water and sanitation, and agriculture, while also contributing to economic recovery through job creation and private sector support. Additional funding is also allocated to help mitigate the impact of the conflict on the security and stability of the country, including by supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces' capabilities and deployment in the south, clearing rubble and unexploded ordnance, and strengthening border management. A significant part of that support is not included in the USD 600 million. In this context, the Ambassadors highlighted the crucial role of UNIFIL in maintaining stability and security in the south, a role that remains indispensable in the future. They emphasized the utmost need for all parties to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, including ensuring a state monopoly on arms, and to abide by the November 2024 ceasefire mechanism. The Ambassadors also discussed with their interlocutors the government's commitment and plans for the much-needed financial, judicial, and governance reforms that can place the country on the path to recovery. They commended the authorities on the steps taken since the beginning of the year, including Parliament's approval of the Banking Secrecy Law and the filling of key vacancies in the judiciary and regulatory authorities, among others. The Ambassadors stressed the need for Parliament to swiftly endorse a Bank Resolution Law that meets international standards. They similarly called on the Government to urgently draft and adopt a comprehensive strategy for the distribution of financial sector losses (the so-called "GAP Law"), in a way that ensures clarity, fairness, and alignment with international best practices. They additionally inquired about the status of the law on the independence of the judiciary and the new media law that should serve to uphold media freedoms and to strengthen accountability. The Ambassadors concluded by reiterating to President Aoun, Prime Minister Salam, and Speaker Berri the EU and Member States' commitment to Lebanon and their willingness to support the country as it moves forward.
The National
03-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun in Saudi Arabia on first official trip abroad
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for his first official visit since taking office, signalling a reset in Beirut-Riyadh relations after years of Saudi disengagement from Lebanese affairs. Mr Aoun landed in Riyadh accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, and said in comments on X: 'The visit is an opportunity to emphasise the depth of Lebanese-Saudi relations, and it is also an occasion to express Lebanon's appreciation for the role played by the kingdom in supporting Lebanon's stability, its safety and the regular functioning of its constitutional institutions. 'I look forward with great hope to the discussions I will have with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this evening, which will pave the way for a subsequent visit during which agreements will be signed to enhance co-operation between the two brotherly countries,' he added. Saudi Arabia had distanced itself from Lebanese affairs for years due to the influence of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon's political landscape and its alignment with Iran. In 2016, Riyadh suspended a $3 billion military aid package to Lebanon after Beirut failed to condemn attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. Mr Aoun aims to restore Lebanon's ties with its Arab neighbours. During his visit to Riyadh, he will request the reinstatement of the military aid package to strengthen the Lebanese army. He told Asharq News he would ask Riyadh 'if it is possible to reactivate the grant' halted in 2016. Many see that the international community's support for the Lebanese Armed Forces' mission is an essential requirement for its success in implementing UN Resolution 1701, which calls for disarming armed groups in Lebanon – seen as a reference to Hezbollah. Recent developments have altered local and regional dynamics. Hezbollah's influence has waned after a year of war with Israel, which resulted in the destruction of the group's infrastructure, the elimination of its leadership and the infiltration of its security apparatus. The fall of former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, a vital ally of both Iran and Hezbollah, has disrupted Tehran's so-called Axis of Resistance, weakening Iran's strategic foothold in the region. Syria, once a conduit for Iranian support to Hezbollah, no longer serves this role. Saudi Arabia played a central role in pushing for the election of Joseph Aoun as head of state, ending more than two years of political deadlock in Lebanon. This led to the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister and the formation of a new government. The cabinet's ministerial statement scrapped any mention of ' armed resistance ' for the first time since 2005, marking a significant shift of Lebanon's official stance on the military activities of Hezbollah, and a broader effort to reassert state sovereignty over defence and security matters. The policy statement also mentioned that Lebanon would 'never be used as a platform to attack our brothers and friends in Arab states'. Hezbollah has been accused of carrying out campaigns against Gulf states through various attacks and supporting regional militia groups that align with Iran's interests.
